International Book Giving Day

I just want to spread a great idea I stumbled across in my journeys about the blogosphere: International Book Giving Day.

I think that's last year's badge, but I liked it better, and the message is the same.  

Here's the idea:

Three simple ways to celebrate International Book Giving Day!

1. Give a Book to a Friend or Relative.

Celebrate International Book Giving Day by giving a child a new, used or borrowed book.  Beats the heck out of more chocolate or those nasty little candy hearts.

2. Leave a Book in a Waiting Room or Lobby.

Choose a waiting room where kids are stuck waiting and there are few to no good books available. Purchase a good book, and deposit your book covertly or overtly in your waiting room of choice. The goal here is to spread the love of reading to kids, so choose a fun book, nothing controversial.  There are printable book plates here.

3. Donate a Book.

Wrap up a box of children’s books that your kids have outgrown and get them in the hands of children who could really use a book or two. Donate your books to your local second hand store, library, children’s hospital, or shelter. Alternatively, donate your books to an organization working internationally to get books in the hands of kids, such as Books for Africa.  Check to see if your local Friends of the Library hold a sale (we do, and we'll need books, though we're a year out from our sale right now).

I'm going to do some combination of all of the above.  I think I'll donate some of my own books to some libraries, and maybe purchase and leave a picture book or two at my dentist's, or in the doctor's waiting room.  And I'm going to share this with others who might like to do the same.  Less candy, more books this Feb. 14!